on the job.

in another week or so, i will have been at my job for 5 months. truthfully, i feel as though i've been there longer; not really sure why but its good! i truly do love my job.

i love it because it is so design oriented! design is my passion and i spend 90% of my time fulfilling design-related responsibilities. i've drawn more floorplans, as i've designed and re-designed my showroom, in the last 5 months than i have at any other job since Seattle (3 years ago). refreshing!

i love it because i work for a company with incredible philosophies for business. this is the most collaborative, creative and respectful environment i've ever been in during my career.

i love it because included in my merchandising role is the responsibility to fill a 20,000 sq ft showroom (and outdoor patio area!) with foliage. anyone who knows me, knows that keeping plants alive has not been my specialty-ha-but i am learning so much!! we have a former landscape architect on staff who has given me incredibly helpful tips and i learn a lot by trial and error. :) i am proud to say this weekly routine of shopping and caring for plants has made me appreciate the skill involved for those who do this on a much larger scale, as well as given me the desire to maybe have a few plants of my own in my little place! we'll see...

i love it because i get to use a power drill almost daily. :)

i love it because it is stretching my design perspective significantly. designing and merchandising for the modern aesthetic is much more difficult than for any other segment of the design spectrum (at least that is what i think so far!). with far less, materially, in each space, every combination, placement and layer makes a significant impact. no pressure! i am learning how to tell a story that starts with the furniture, layers in rugs, lamps, pillows and plants, ending with a curated art/image choice for the wall.

i love it because there is a very strategic psychological component. my job is to appeal, in a very personal way, to someones psyche; to create/inspire a connection between them and our furniture to the point that they are motivated to purchase it. whether it draws on fond memories or fresh beginnings, each space in the showroom is intentionally design and nuanced to appeal to different customers.

i love it because it combines business analysis and design. i love running numbers with my merchant (who i love!); every time we sit down to look at how things are performing, creativity overflows! it is fulfilling and inspiring to know that what i do from the design perspective actually influences our business. the ultimate goal is that it preserves our brand while creating inspiration for the customers and the staff; if customers and staff are excited, we're going to sell things!

i love it because i am still, on a fundamental level, so inspired by the power of design. it influences everything; the simplest changes take a space from being unrelateable to incredibly comfortable, accessible and appealing. for instance, we've had this space in the showroom that has just struggled since it was set in January. the design wasn't sitting right, the sales were down, the staff and customers weren't engaging the space...bad, bad, bad. i hated walking by the room because it just felt wrong and it didn't represent who we are as a company. over the last month, small things have come to light that we've explored changing in an effort to recapture not only the inspiration but the business. just today, 3 of those things fell into place and now i can't stay away! i couldn't believe it...i heard myself say the words, "i absolutely love this room!" and i was in shock. even with a design background, i was reminded of how much you have to massage the creative process to get just the right result. i truly thought that because of the massive over-analyzing i've done of that space in the last few months, that i would never truly fall in love with it. i was wrong. it is mindblowing.

and last, i love it because i see God's hand in providing this opportunity for me. recruited out of thin air based on the recommendation of someone i don't know, i ended up here after two months of interviews and design challenges. i found out later they had interviewed nearly 60 people over 13 months for this position before miraculously choosing me; i am the least likely candidate for the job, based on my demographic and experience yet God allowed me to be the one! i am so humbled and grateful. i am also overwhelmed at moments being the only believer there; it is hard and it is driving me to my knees before the Lord. He is Truth and Life and the world needs that. God has placed me here, amidst these precious people for a reason. the weight of that responsibility is not lost on me, yet i know that God's redeeming work does not depend on me. He will accomplish His purposes because He is God. but we are allowed an opportunity to participate if our hearts are attune to Him. That is something I don't want to miss!

5 months down, many more to go (i hope!)!